Working/Functional Title
Flint Food Works Director
Position Summary
Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment, which requires all staff to contribute toward a vision for success regardless of title or position within the organization. We strive to create a positive culture, access to resources, and a sense of belonging for staff, partners, and programming participants. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:
- We work together to ensure that programming is available to all audiences, creates meaningful and positive impacts for participants, and demonstrates partnership and collaboration across communities.
- We understand that a welcoming and respectful environment is built through the efforts of everyone.
- We foster an environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to contribute and thrive.
We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and supportive culture. We foster an environment that values a range of perspectives, skills, and experiences by working to ensure access to programming for communities. We commit to continuous learning and engagement to better serve Michigan residents and meet the evolving needs of communities. We recognize that broad accessibility and collaboration are essential elements of our work and are vital to organizational and programmatic success. We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching, and feedback toward achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff. Together we will achieve success, and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Flint Food Works Operations Manager serves as the primary leader responsible for the day-to-day management, production oversight, and operational performance of the Flint Food Works Commercial Kitchen. This role directs all aspects of facility operations, including production scheduling, workflow design, quality control, and adherence to food safety and regulatory standards. By developing and maintaining an efficient production layout, the Operations Manager ensures optimal product quality, consistency, and scalability for a diverse portfolio of client products. The position also provides hands-on technical guidance and manufacturing support to food entrepreneurs, helping translate product concepts into viable, market-ready goods.
Embedded within Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension) and the Community, Food and Environment Institute (CFEI), you will serve as the Operations Manager and will play a critical leadership role in advancing the mission of Flint Food Works to strengthen the local food economy. In partnership with the MSU Product Center, you will oversee the strategic and operational success of the commercial kitchen as a shared-use facility designed to reduce barriers to entry for food-based businesses. You will ensure that equipment, staffing, and systems are effectively aligned to support both early-stage and scaling food entrepreneurs, while maintaining a high-functioning, inclusive, and professionally managed production environment.
In addition to facility oversight, you will coordinate integrated, wrap-around business support services for entrepreneurs across Genesee County. This includes collaborating with MSU Extension educators and partner organizations to provide counseling, technical assistance, and connections to resources such as product development, food safety training, regulatory guidance, and market access. Strong relationship management, operational leadership, and a commitment to community-centered economic development, ensuring Flint Food Works continues to serve as a catalyst for small business growth, workforce development, and equitable access to food entrepreneurship opportunities will ensure your success in this role.
This position will work in the Flint Food Works Commercial Kitchen located in the Flint Farmers’ Market, Flint, Michigan, within Genesee County.
This is a full-time (100%), off-dated position funded for one year from date of hire with possible extension contingent upon funding renewal.
Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities
- Direct and supervise the production of products in a manufacturing/production environment/ facility.
- Oversee production layout to provide optimal quality and product deliverables.
- Set up manufacturing lines to meet production and client needs.
- Assist clients in understanding process of operating equipment to create product.
- Oversee and coordinate scheduling of production activities and client space use.
- Oversee billing and financial management of facility.
- Communicate with clien ts on project deliverables and propose all processes available.
- Responsible for coordination and scheduling use of the commercial kitchen.
- Maintain policies and agreements, including communication and enforcement of policies pertaining to use of the commercial kitchen.
- Maintenance of signed user agreements, collection of payments, and for ensuring necessary equipment is available and operational when scheduled to be used.
- Market commercial kitchen availability to potential customers and host tours, as needed.
- Provide support for the operations at Flint Food Works, including coordination with the Flint Farmers’ Market Manager.
- Coordinate ServSafe Classes as a certified ServSafe Manager.
- Provide recipe and product coaching for product scale-up.
- Provide potential recipe ingredient substitution options and cost analysis for commercial-scale production, when applicable.
- Responsible for coordination of wrap-around food business support and counseling for interested food entrepreneurs.
- When appropriate, refer food entrepreneur inquiries to MSU Product Center Counselors.
- Provide direct counseling to Flint Food Works and MSU Product Center clients, with particular attention given to those foodservice clients looking to open brick/mortar establishments that need assistance on start-up and overall operational costs.
- Coordinate additional business development workshops with the MSU Product Center.
- Participate in MSU Product Center Team meetings and statewide events, as needed.
- Provide assistance at the MSU Food Processing Innovation Center (FPIC) to strengthen food processing knowledge, as needed.
- Actively participate in professional development opportunities.
- Other duties or projects as assigned by the director of the MSU Product Center.
Minimum Requirements
- Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degr ee program in engineering, packaging, food science, business, or a field related to the production facility and the facility’s capabilities.
- Five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in production management, manufacturing plant management, or process management for a manufacturing facility.
- Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- This position requires or will require, prior to completion of the probationary period: knowledge of basic personal computer terminology and operations, and the ability to use e-mail and the Internet.
Desired Qualifications
